AN INTRODUCTION

I'm a marine biologist interested in increasing knowledge of marine diversity through research, education and outreach. My research focuses on experimental ecology to understand modern threats to marine organisms. I dedicate time to educating multiple audiences include K-12, undergraduate and graduate students. I have posted some resources on the outreach page. Increasing outreach is critical for communicating the importance of marine ecosystems and I strive to educate through photography, popular writing and public presentations. Some of my popular writing is featured on the blog page.

RESEARCHMy research broadly fits into the topics of ecology, evolution and conservation biology. I apply many field and laboratory skills to better understand marine biology from the cellular to community scale. I've focused my recent research on those organisms that are most at threat from climate change. I use survey techniques to link the monitoring of physical conditions to patterns of community change as climate change intensifies. I use organic chemistry to characterize marine natural products and test chemical ecology. I use genetic methods to better understand the genomic variability of acclimatization and adaptation among coral populations in response to climate change. For a complete list of my work experience and publications see myCV.

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHYI'm an avid scuba diver with my dive master certification and over 1,000 dives. Spending so much time underwater has helped me to develop my photography hobby. I am constantly trying to photograph rare and weird creatures (especially invertebrates) from all around the world. These photos are a great communication tool to illustrate the amazing diversity of life in our oceans. My photos have been featured in The New York Times, CNBC, Scientific American and National Geographic Blogs. My photos have also been used in multiple books including; "Marine Flatworms The World of Polyclads" by Leslie Newman and Lester Cannon, "What on Earth" by Quentin Wheeler and Sara Pennak, "Sex in the Sea" by Marah Hardt. See some of the photos.